You may wonder a bit about the disconnect between my last post’s talk of the color that surrounds us outdoors, with these (mostly) black and white drawings that are centered on being indoors.

Considering how beautiful it is here in Vermont, it’s sometimes hard to reconcile the fact that I’m just not that interested in drawing or painting landscapes.

Instead, I find it much more satisfying to work with smaller worlds that tell a story about the variety of activities that compete for my time and attention, weaving together a fuller picture of the reality of my day-to-day life.

As I’m mapping out these sketches, I often think of Mel Stabin’s advice in his book Watercolor: Simple, Fast, and Focused where he urges one to always think in terms of shape and value.

These drawings aren’t just an opportunity to concentrate on those elements, they’re also a source of endless opportunities for working with composition. And, to a degree, approaching them as abstractions lends greater depth to the learning process.

Truth be told, I like to think of them as landscapes, but of a different stripe.

I get a lot of joy from drawing food grown in my garden and the tools I use almost every day (many of which have been passed down from my mother and grandmother) to create the meals that sustain us.

As such, these 2-D microcosms tell a much bigger story than one might guess, offering a lot of mileage for relatively little input.

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I recently discovered “Arnold’s Attic” on YouTube, a bevy of textile-related videos that include artist interviews (India Flint, Marian Jazmik, & Dionne Swift, to name just a few) as well as tours of assorted textile exhibitions (embroidery, quilting, knitting), and some how-to’s. Quite a find!

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And finally, a selfie two-fer this week! Many thanks to Leslie & Micah. Don’t miss Leslie’s fabulous work and Artist Interview with Studio Place Arts.